Introducing FLOOR-TECT™ Concrete Floor Covering Protection

ALEX: G’day all, and welcome to the latest episode of MARKHAM’s Invisible Strength podcast series! I’m Alex Portelli, MARKHAM’s Specification Consultant in Australia, and I’m joined in the Sydney office today by Hayden Prestige, Sales and Marketing Manager. Hayden, want to introduce yourself?

HAYDEN: Hey Alex! Yes, thanks for having me on board. Great day to be shooting another podcast and a great topic! But I must do a quick shout out for the team getting this podcast gear together.

It’s quite a step up from what we’re used to!

ALEX: Absolutely!

HAYDEN: Thinking back to those days, we were just recording over a computer screen, and the elementary sound coming through. But it’s fantastic to be broadcasting from Sydney today and a great topic, about FLOOR-TECT, I believe, is it Alex? Let’s run into it.

ALEX: Yes, that’s right, that’s what we’re going to cover today. So as Hayden mentioned, our hot topic is going to be regarding FLOOR-TECT. It’s its big launch today for MARKHAM, the FLOOR-TECT system. So now I’ve said that you’re all wondering what exactly FLOOR-TECT is, and what it does. But I thought we might go over the back story before we get into the actual system; so Hayden, can you talk us through the whole TECT approach? MARKHAM has BASE-TECT, SLAB-TECT and now FLOOR-TECT. What’s it all about?

HAYDEN: Yes, that’s good. So MARKHAM has been involved with concrete treatments, as you’d know, for over 25 years now; and we were very much focused on just product; like, it’s just been a product, or supply and install the direct product. And yes, it’s been a system, but it’s still a product, you know, when we’re going to site.

So we’ve just lately pulled it together into systems that we can provide the industry, and it’s often a combination of products, a combination of services that we do, and it’s really to provide a solution offering. So that might be around waterproofing. It might be around protecting the exposed surfaces. Say, waterproofing basements, we’ve brought out BASE-TECT.

And just on that ‘TECT’ – obviously protection, and that’s what it’s all about, is protecting concrete for the long term.

So BASE-TECT; and then we’ve got our SLAB-TECT which is, like, your exposed warehouse floors or retail floors, things like that. And now FLOOR-TECT.

So yes, it’s all about adding life to concrete. It’s all about our vision of saving the world one structure at a time. So it’s about protection, so that’s what I’d say the back story is.

ALEX: Awesome, awesome, yes! So what I find, working with architects and construction design professionals, there’s been a very positive reaction to us making these systems easier to specify, and also cost up for estimating purposes.

HAYDEN: Yes, 100%. It’s … we had the feedback, didn’t we, from the market that – What product goes where? And being able to put a system forward and say, Here it is, here’s the one approach. This is one click of a button, so to speak, and you’ve got the right system for your project.

ALEX: So essentially we’re taking all the guesswork out of it, by putting it all together and putting it in front of you in one spot.

HAYDEN: Yes, well there’s been so many product suppliers out there, and everyone putting product in front of you. And it’s being able to analyse, you know, What product’s good for me? Exactly what you say, takes the guesswork out. Makes it easier; just the click of a button, then we’ve got one system.

ALEX: Absolutely. And a little more to that, we can also design that specifically, add to and subtract if necessary, if it doesn’t fit the project just with the standard system.

HAYDEN: Yes, 100% so that’s I guess that’s a real part about the flexibility of the TECT systems. While it’s one approach, it does have some movement where we can utilise other products to get what’s needed for that par-tic-u-lar… can’t even say my words now! – particular project.

ALEX: Apart from just the approach to design, these were warranted etc, and through the one supplier.

HAYDEN: Yes, so very strong on that – being the product manufacturer right through to our own teams delivering on-site, gives us very strong performance warranties through all our systems. And that’s really carried a lot of weight lately, that, you know … there was a bit of a swing in the market where – just give me the product, I’ll get our guys to chuck it on, and whatever that is; that could be waterproofing or it could be just sealing the slab. But when an issue pops up, that always reverts to, whose fault is it? Is it the product’s fault? Is it the installer’s fault? So now thankfully, the market’s coming back. And it’s our strong point, our unique point of providing supply and application.

ALEX: OK, OK, so that brings me to risk reduction, which is a big part of the FLOOR-TECT. It’s really where the new systems come from, isn’t it? Give us some background on the systems specifically.

HAYDEN: Yes, I’ll just touch on that risk point. Obviously, you’d find it as well, in design, when architects are taking, you know, ultimately their reputation is at risk when they’re putting products forward, or systems. And builders the same. And I was on an interesting webinar recently and the speaker was saying, basically, builders now, or anyone in construction, is trading in risk. They’re basically buying and selling risk through, you know, building a building, obviously, but through different trades. You’re analysing risk and then taking it on. It’s a good point you make there.

So jumping now into FLOOR-TECT! And it’s a great day to announce it, really. Actually brilliant to bring it to the market. So this came off the back of some changes to the Australian flooring standard for resilient flooring AS1884:2021. And in there they require products to be verified and certified to some set standards. And one of them is ASTM E96, which is a very stringent standard for moisture evaporation out of concrete.

And so FLOOR-TECT! Protecting flooring on top of concrete is nothing new for us. We’ve been involved in, and done, millions of square metres. There’s no exaggeration. Millions of square metres on various types of flooring. You know, all sorts of types of flooring have gone over the top of us. And being able to protect moisture coming out and protect that flooring for the long term.

FLOOR-TECT is a system that is compliant with the new regulations and standard, and it’s a system because it’s a combination of products that we do. It utilises some of our original hydrogel penetrating sealers and then a copolymer primer over the top to make sure we get that standard’s requirements. But in the end, it’s all about getting it right for your concrete, but thinking ahead and making sure your flooring is protected, and that’s why it’s called FLOOR-TECT.

ALEX: Absolutely, that’s great. So just to reconfirm, FLOOR-TECT is completely compliant with AS1884:2021. I mean, that’s going to give our clients massive amounts of confidence. I know there’s been a lot of industry uncertainty across the board since the new standard was issued. And can you talk about our end-to-end approach with this system?

HAYDEN: Yes, it’s actually been quite an upheaval in the market, I suppose. People were getting used to some of the good systems out there, and there’s a vast range of different ways to approach the moisture element. And yes, being able to bring it into one system that goes down as a cure; so it goes down the early stages of a project, as you know, is really making it easier.

I’ve totally forgotten what the second question was you asked me, Alex, what did you ask?

ALEX: Basically just going through our end-to-end approach; so all the way through design, supply, risk management, so on and so forth.

HAYDEN: Yes, yes, that’s good and that’s really what MARKHAM is strong at. It’s all about putting the right system in, in the design stage, so you don’t get caught at the back end of a project. How often we see it now that some steps are skipped early on; and that results in sort of escalating costs; and programme delays is a big one, at the back end of a project, along with a lot of rework; along with a lot of, you know, having to come back and fix all potentially flooring issues. Things like that. So yes, MARKHAM end-to-end approach, absolutely. So being the product manufacturer, right through the installation, and that strong, strong performance warranty! Often up around … project-specific in everything we do. But you know, being able to offer a 15-year standard warranty straight up is, I think it’s still recognised; and as we tell our clients, it’s still one of the best in the market. So proud of that.

ALEX: Absolutely, absolutely. So the fact that we manufacture, supply and install will also have a bearing on, you know, finishes, and we can foresee issues at the design stage that we can then pass through the whole project; speaking to the actual building teams as well.

HAYDEN: Yes, yes. And I love that, absolutely. It’s a bit of foresight. That bit of experience that we’ve picked up along the way. You know, this happened in this project. This happened in this instance. Also down to the fact of what sort of floor finish are you going to get? You know, how long are the trowels going to be on the new concrete? What’s the surface is going to be like? All these sorts of things come into the system, and the experience set that we can offer from the end-to-end service. Yes, love that, good for bringing that up.

ALEX: Yes excellent, all right!

So if you want to find out more, get in touch with us at markhamglobal.com Visit the contact page or send us a message with Percy the chatbot. Thanks for your time, Hayden, and look forward to the next one!

HAYDEN: Thank you, thank you!